Austin McChord, center, RIT 2009 alumnus, gives $50 million to RIT Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Henrietta. The gift is the largest ever made to the university. McChord is founder and CEO of Datto, a Connecticut based data protection company. With McChord, making the announcement today are former RIT President Bill Destler, right, and current President David Munson Jr.(Photo: SHAWN DOWD/@sdowdphoto/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Buy Photo

Austin McChord did not stand out during his time as an undergraduate at Rochester Institute of Technology. In fact, he left without his degree and only received it after six years, in 2009, thanks to community college credits.

The next eight years were somewhat more productive. The online data protection company he launched while at RIT, Datto, is valued around $1 billion.

McChord, just 32 years old, has dipped into that wealth in a major way, as he and the school Wednesday announced a $50 million gift for programs in entrepreneurship and cybersecurity. It is the largest single donation in RIT history.

"What a day for RIT; what a day for the Rochester region," Board of Trustees President Christine Whitman marveled. "Today, Austin is taking us to a new level."

The young millionaire admitted he was "not a fantastic student."

"But I would not be here if it were not for my time at RIT," he said. "This is where I first had the idea of starting my company."

Of the total sum, $30 million will go toward entrepreneurship, including $17.5 million to create a Maker Library and Innovation Learning Complex. The remaining $20 million is for programs in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, including facilities and endowments.

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Austin McChord, right, RIT 2009 alumnus, gives $50 million to RIT Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Henrietta. The gift is the largest ever made to the university. With McChord is RIT President David Munson Jr., left., and an unidentified sign language interpreter.(Photo: SHAWN DOWD/@sdowdphoto/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

My real motivation for the gift is ... giving back to the people who helped (me) along the way," he said. "It's really important for me to do something that benefits not just RIT or the students but hopefully the community as a whole."

Datto employs about 200 people in downtown Rochester, a number McChord said is likely to grow in the future. He founded the company in the basement of his parents' home in Connecticut in 2007 while on a break from his coursework at RIT.

"A gift of this magnitude will help propel RIT from excellence to prominence," RIT President David Munson said. "The goal of the gift is to create the next generation of Austin McChords."

McChord also serves on the school's board of trustees and had previously donated more than $1 million. He was named New York Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 by Ernst & Young.

“It’s a little surreal standing here right now," McChord said at a news conference at the university's Henrietta campus. "I’m proud to be in a position to make a gift like this."

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In one swoop, McChord passes local luminaries such as James Gleason, Tom Golisano and Phil Saunders as the school's greatest benefactor. The previous high mark belonged to Gleason and his family foundation, which has given a total of $34.5 million to RIT.

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Austin McChord speaks to the media following the announcement of a $50 million gift to RIT Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Henrietta. The gift is the largest ever made to the university.(Photo: SHAWN DOWD/@sdowdphoto/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Datto was recently acquired by Vista Equity Partners and merged with Autotask Corp. McChord is CEO of the new company, which has about 1,400 employees with offices in nine countries. McChord said he was inspired to make the historic donation by former University President Bill Destler. The two became friends over the past four years.

"I had no doubt Austin would reach his ambitious goals," Destler said at the news conference in RIT's Innovation Hall. Destler spoke of how he first met McChord in 2013 and how he was impressed by the young entrepreneur and invited him to join a university round table.

McChord has been an active alumnus of RIT, serving as a frequent speaker. He also delivered the 2017 Commencement address.